Rotor and combustion chamber arrangement for gas turbines



2,694,291 RoToR AND coMBUs'rIoN CHAMBER ARRANGEMENT FOR GAS TURBINESNvv. 16, 1954 H. c. RQSENGART 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 22, 1948 NOV15, 1954 H. c. RosENGART ROTOR AND COMBUSTION CHAMBER ARRANGEMENT FORGAS TURBINES 'Filed July 22, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 H; C. E06 nga/Ivi NOV16, 1954 H. c. Ross-:NGART ROTOR AND COMBUSTION CHAMBER ARRANGEMENT FORGAS TURBINES 3 sheets-sheet 3 Filed July 22. 1948 United StatesPatent-t) ROTORSANDlCOMBUS-'FIGN GE- MENT` 'FORtG'AS TUR-BINESUThisi-iinuentionitbroadly vrelaltesnto ithezzl arte-,oft prime movers.

More ,-particularly,:f th`e fpresentninvention. relates to animprovementuini; turbine;type-iutilizedfasfatreaction; :enginefffonpropelling aircraft or for other suitable diiiivingpurposes-.,-`Aslanexample, the improved gas turbinegarrangementicanbe utilized.toimpart-powerto: the, .bladei system-oiga turbine turbe-simiente lAccordingly;- it; :is v an nobjectrof-r the :present :inventiontos-'provide :an-improved combustion ;gas turbine in :which the,Jcombustion :chamber-1 and-proton.' including ;i z blades, are-of:reduced axial extentlandrthe blade-system- 'hollow soigthatthe-iair-randrexhaust Ygases':pass'xbetweenhe:blades whilecoolingtainpassesy withinrthetdiollows of :the-.blades to faeilitate coolingu;

It iisy fall: additional: :ohjeet tto- :provi-dekfineisuch: :ai cornebustionrzgas fturbineearrangement aefuelsjet ,arrangement ine -udingjets- 1 positioned peripherally of thai-rotorev n termediate'lthefbladestand-:so directed -into ;-the. .'cornb usl tiontchamber:asftspray f1el-within :the chamben-tane gentially thereof.

A --furt-herf:object-fis.y tofrprovidenthe hollow blades-.of inverted-:V-shapedf configuration: in;Y cross-:section '.r with the;Y exhausts@gas; i outlet-z bladesf cury'edn helicallyr with respecty to.- the rotoraxis; a:

Further-and more-specific objectsiwill beiapparentifrom' the:4following; description-:taken im connection; .with :the accompanying:drawings illustrating --theyinvention as embodied-.inlapowert-:plantincludingra stationarily supported combustion@cham-berv of.l general: -toi'oidala' shape having aaicontinuonsfopcningzin; itszsinnerfperipheryrande-within which'jzchamber is I-aaotorthat;isr offsuchmidth ias, to have its periphery rotatingwithinritheiopening-iandsinwhich the-,outlet-v side fofthecombustionchambercommunicates with-z aus ejector-ffo'rmed in, tthe stationary:housingw In thedrawings :Figurer 1 isf anaxial-viewfwithpartsremovedandy looking i towardthe combustion sch-amber from the outletrAend of the-:turbina particularly-:1 ill-ustratin-g the! exhaust:gas-directing :portions-of: the i blades,

Figure is .ramaXia-l y sectional-view-of thefturbinenv Figure 3 is;anend'yiewlfsimilan-:to:Figure-f1 fbutitaken axially: from thefnlet tendvof the lfturbine,-

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic. side .--viewf partly.- fbroken away,` tillustrating; they blades and the f channels.: therebetween,- g

Figure Sais -a view similar -.toFigure-2 but-particularly illustratingthe fuel feed and spark ignition-arrangement, and.-Y

Figures f6 Aandy 7 diagrammatically illustrate.. the,= angle betweentheexhaustdirecting portion of -a turbine blade and ,a planeparallel.to.;the rotor. shaft .whenithe turbine isr .tobe.utiliZed.-as. areaction propulsion. unit and 'a turbine.v means for vanother` turbineyrespectively;A l

In, .the drawings, Figures: Vl- 4,. the .-turbirienncludes.L astationaryv4 combustionchamber: denoted-,generally at 3. ThisA'comlrjustion chamberv is, genera1ly}toroidal shaped and has, a.continuous opening ,at t its inner. periphry. The wall .meansthattdefine` this combstionchamben include front andrear portions.radiallygoutwardflof theopening and.' \vhich{ portions are outwardlycurved .and;fa`ce one ar'1 other y Thefront wall portion,v includesffanextension 3' that' is curved inwardly and"laterallygforwardly;of one.,edge. oftheopening.,- The -frearwall; portion iincludes a surface-vthat:- isslopedtlin'wardly ,--and-laterally rearwardly .atfan acuteangletotheaxiswf. 'the `turbine. at. the. ireancdge of the opening? Arotondenotedfgen:

agpower.- plantof.A a.; combustion-s gas y 2,694,291 Ptented N ov. 1.6,r.1954

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finally-tati ,-1 nota-tes .ewthinntliessaitl uvaililmeansfand hasits-contour :generally-isimulatingfitheoconteur;fof the uJ wardly iand-frv vai.=clly1- curi/ed:;ezctensionofnthei-fronesivallportione-of-thefrcombustion ,chambenrandnalsahenreanwall portion i surface Cfu-the combustion: chambers Mounted,- onr. ithier-rotor :anew-hollow blades 5:24: 1 These blades-tareof-inverteduvshapedfmossj section la isi-:indiecated,- Figure 1,1and-iftheyyhave isuchu'dimensens asa-l0. tit with close-1clearanceerelative e-tontheminwardhi nd` forwardly curved l--frontwal-liportion entensioniandaalso the rearwardly/tf sloping-real wallwerden@ surface andthis,l 1sbelieved ,clearr-insthetsliowingnim Figur'Thus: between-.each; blade,e.there-i-isnprouideduan:am nleJe-.pasasage:r extendingsfrornffthefendt of ithenrotonzint0-e the amiularr`space` Sfr of; thetrfcombust-ionnchambeit and-nan; exhaust Igaspassagesbetween-:theyblades extendingefromoutl of the said-s annulamspaenreanwardlu offfthe .-:rean end Q8 of tlie-,wa1lmeansideningrithemeombustiontchaml ber. Within each bladenisformedachannels,ifhayingnaninlet-porti ast-shown:atyls-in-iFigure3,1-,andi2-outletf-ipprts denoted! @ati- 12.411 :Figure 1.1i The:xhaustftgas sd-irecting portionsv ofu'thev blades g2farescurueduhelically-ywith frespect ztoitheerotor 'axis sanduatatheintouter-f surfaces-ias, shownifin v`Figure ,-2L,are--.=slopedinwardly/Handsrearwardlyin close clearance with theadjacent-.sunface;ofttherrean wallfportfionf of-:thercombustionichambeniwalL-v--mcansi Itriisi-:belieyedecleat-s thatsfthezrcombustiunichambere .as gute;l 2,-; hasrounded'cnds, thecenters ofxicurvaturefo.-swhichfiareispacedutwardly fromftheperiphery ofthe rotorsandaretonta-lineparal-lelto .the;axis; Y of@ thee-turbine.; D uemtot,thisfvvconguration and theaarrangementlof: the rotor-,fautifitSf-bladesestherotor` effects.- an V air fcurrentf :aroundathen-centers -of cunvature and-whieh-cuments terminatessfin a-fwhirlihav-ingits centen in-aplaneofi-therotor; y A

Fuelnisfsupplied to V)the combustion, chamber-:through jetsy14spositioned peripherally fof theffrotonzintennediate the blades,Figure 3.,- These jets-are so; directed into the combustion chamberyasistoefspray rfuel gtherewithin :tan: gentially thereof, Figures-,al:and 5.o. l Fueleiisi--led toisthe jets tthrough f-radial'fuelnchannels13sfed-ifromfraiicentral fuel channelfizlstthanismarnangeduaniallysofetheyrotori The fuel feed arrangement; willbedescribed hereinafter;l with more `:detail with refer-.eneefftolfFiguree5., It swbelieved-icleanf that centrifugal: force imparted by rotationoft the :rotori-.willednawffuel- `Athroughe,the-fchannels -and feeditithrough ftheljetsf 114e-,

Atithesinletffend-J ofthe= -,rotoni-L through which-ethe ain.- wi-l1enter to :flow towthe.-rcombustionflqchamber;,the plane`ofneachvoffithe-f blades-f 2 rist parallel. withl the. axis of therotor. This-arrangement extendsiuptto.,andgwi-th: in the fcombustionachambernandtheme-the,` bladesfarefbent sidew-ise,f .thatisfimoreuonlessiscuryed fhelicall-yg-,so :that at.l the,-exitt-.endi-S-:of tlrewrotori-throughuwhichnexhaust gases pass, theblades are at a certain angleeBffas; shown in-Figurelf- The rotorshafttisfextendedtatfthe inlet-,endend carries blades thatcooperate-swim@ blade-siprojectingtinwardly of if the .-ain :induction.tubve,f.7 tot:- prov-ide as- .turb o comp ressorr denotedgeneralilyg-atF-QIS. The rotonrshaftifis. journalledini bearingsfons-suitableradially disposed isup; ports 19. A conicalilow'directingtlernent 16 'swix-edlymountedaon,iradial,fsuppprtsifZOewith ...itspbase .adiaeentthetexhausttgas outlettsectionfiofigthe rotor:-` ,The turbine iscompletedby anej.e,ctoi.'` casing' ,17'f extending rearwardly across thecha-isnberraincludinga .cooling-,aiu :com` duit 17. This.casingisghollowat .177 and this `fhlollow portion forms .afuellreserivoir" with.,A

fuel. ,conduits einv tending v from the. reservoir' tot; andcommunicatingg with the centralifuellcondliit .l3'

The. operation 0f,`.`the turbine.. willlb" described with reference 'to.the detailedshowilgingFigures5 Fel'is supplied to the turbine from a'f1e1"pump ,'j notf.shown, throughthe `aperturefZO, in thereseryoir 2 1'.Through.; the conduit 22, theiuel' "'conductedtoga centralifuel pipezffromwhichji rtiuted. hrou'gl'itpipeslzi, to` ,the jet nozzlesl-.fr'om'w ichitis'dschargedtangentially into thecombustioinichmhei; 5,',asishnwnl bygth`e, arrow To start theturbnel,a"conventionakcompressedfain starting system, not shown;A,including` 'amairioutlejtnozzle 'feldby a;blower,sgarrangedwiththemozzlmpressedT against the air induction tube 2Ss'o that air under pressure will ow into this tube to drive Athecompressor denoted generally at 26. The air is compressed and owsthrough the channels formed between the blades 2 into the combus tionchamber where it is ignited. The ignition system includes a source ofcurrent, not shown, which includes a voltage transformer whichcan be ofany convenient type, and further, an electric cable 27 leading currentto a current conducting body 28 which is insulated from the turbine. Inthe rotor body, that is the back plate thereof, is arranged anothercurrent conducting body Z9 which is axially displaceable and springpressed into contact with the current conducting body 28 so that currentcan be transferred through a cable 30 to the part 31 of the spark plugdenoted generally at 6'. The other part of the plug 32 is electricallyconnected to the rotor which by way of the bearings is connected to theouter housing surrounding thhe combustion chamber and then through theradial supports 33 and back through cable 34 to the transformer andsource. plugs mounted in the rotor. The plugs are effective only untilthe ignition and combustion are commenced, whereupon the electricalcircuitV is broken.

After the ignition has occurred in the combustion chamber, thecombustion gases discharged through the outlet end of the rotor, due tothe shape of the combustion case directing portion of the blades 2 and2', will effect rotation of the compressor 18 or 26 following which thestarting nozzle is removed.

The regulation of the fuel supply will be effected automatically. Thefuel pump, not shown, is adjusted to deliver a certain rate of fuel pertime unit and at a certain speed of the rotor the radial channel 24extending between the central channel 23 and the nozzlesA 2S, iscompletely filled with fuel. lf for any reason, load on the rotor, thespeed of the same increases, the fuel supply to the combustion chamberwill also increase, so that the length of the fuel column in the radialchannels is reduced correspondingly. This increase of fuel supply willoccur only during a very short period as the pressure of the fuel at thenozzle 14 will be immediately reduced as the fuel quantity in the radialchannels has been reduced. It is to be pointed out that the pump willdeliver a constant fuel quantity which will be supplied to the jets ornozzles in accordance with the load on the rotor and the peripheralspeed of these nozzles.

With the ignition of the fuel, the burnt gases that exhaust from thecombustion chamber tthrough the outlet end 8 of the rotor and due to theexpansion of these gases will nel. By the angle B which these channelsbear to their axial level, a power component will arise in theperipheral direction which acts on the rotor to drive the same and thusthe compressor. Due to this rotational effect of the exhaust gases,there will arise a turbulent motion which is utilized in the ejector 17Asince a considerable pressure drop will occur in the middle of theejector, whereby the speed and quantity of the cooling air drawn in willbe highly increased.

A conical ow directing element 16, Figure 2, and 35, Figure 5, willdirect the gases backwards. This is particularly in instances where theturbine is to be used as a reaction engine, in which event as showndiagrammatically in Figure 6, the angle B1 between a blade 2 of theoutlet end of the rotor and a plane parallel to the rotor shaft will bereduced.

If it is desirable to mount a turbine on the rotor shaft so that theexhaust gases will drive the same, the angle of the blades is altered sothat as shown diagrammatically in Figure 7, the angle B2 between blade 2and a plane parallel to the rotor shaft is larger than is the case inFigure 6 so as to obtain a direction of gas ow which is suitable toactuate a turbine, one of whose blades is denoted diagrammatically at Q.In this instance, the combustion gases must be used to actuate thisturbine and the latter will rotate in a direction opposite to therotation of the rotor.

It is also to be pointed out that the inverted V-shaped hollow blades`on the rotor are'continuous and include straight line sectionsextending across the inner portion of the combustion chamber. Sincerotor bladesY are subjected to high temperatures and considerable stressdue to the action of "centrifugal force, the fact that they are hollowprovides for proper cooling thereof sincesome of the air drawn in bytherotor blades passes within the To facilitate rapid ignition, thereare plural for instance reduced t;

effect the power development in the outlet chanblades, although thelarger quantity thereof passes between the blades. This air that passeswithin the blades has a cooling action thereon.V It is true that it willbecome heated in its passage, but due to this heat it will expand andconsequently have a certain reaction effect on the ttcr when it leavesthe discharge end of the hollow a es.

lt is also clear that the fuel particles reach the wall of thecombustion chamber at a velocity which is equal to the peripheralvelocity of the rotor. This enhances rapid vaporization and completecombustion of the fuel. Due to the construction and arrangement ofparts, the gaseous mixture will flow relative to the wall of thecombustion chamber at the sameperipheral velocity as that of the rotorand hence the fuel particlesmust, as they are ejected from the nozzleson the periphery of the rotor have the same velocity.

It is further believed clear that the compact constructional arrangementprovides a combustion gas turbine of reduced axial dimensions.

While the drawing and descriptions relate to the particu-4 larembodimentshown, it is understood that this invention is not to be limited otherthan by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A gas turbine including wall means bustion chamber of generallytoroidal shape, said chamber having a continuous opening in its innerperiphery, said wall means in cross section including front and rearcurved portions radially outward of the opening and facing one another,vsaid front portion including an extension curved inwardly of theopening and laterally forwardly of the front edge of the opening, saidrear portion of the wall means including a surface extending inwardly ofthe opening and sloping laterally rearwardly at an acute angle to theaxis of the turbine at the rear edge of the opening, a rotor within theturbine and having its contour generally simulating that of the inwardlyand forwardly curved extension and the rearwardly sloping rear wallportion surface inverted, V-shaped hollow air inlet blades on said rotorhaving close clearance with the inwardly and forwardly curved front wallextension and terminating within the combustion chamber, fuel jetspositioned peripherally on the rotor intermediate said blades and sodirected inwardly of the combustion chamber as to spray fuel within thecombustion chamber tangentially thereof, and inverted V-shapedhollowexhaust gas outlet blades on said rotor respectively incommunication with the inverted V-shaped hollow air inlet blades andcurved helically with respect to the rotor axis and sloped inwardly andrearwardly in close clearance with the inwardly and rearwardly slopedrear wall portion surface.

2. A gas turbine including wall means defining a combustion chamber ofgenerally toroidal shape, said chamber having a continuous opening inits inner periphery, said wall means in cross section including frontand rear curved portions radially outward of the opening and facing oneanother, said front portion including an extension curved inwardly ofthe opening and laterally forwardly of the` front edge of the opening,said rear portion of the wall means including a surface extendinginwardly of the opening and sloping laterally rearwardly at an acuteangle to the axis of the turbine at the rear edge of the opening, arotor within the turbine and having its contour generally simulatingthat of the inwardly and forwardly curved extension and the rearwardlysloping rear wall portion surface, said rotor having its peripherywithin the opening of the combustion chamber, inverted V-shaped hollowair inlet blades on said rotor having close clearance with the inwardlyand forwardly curved front wall extension and terminating in straightline sections across the inner portion of the combustion chamber, fueljets positioned peripherally on the rotor intermediate said blades andso directed into the combustion chamber as to spray fuel within thecombustion chamber tangentially thereof, and invertedV- shaped hollowair inlet blades at the straight line sections of the latter and curvedhelically with respect to the rotor axis and sloped inwardly andrearwardly in close clearance with the inwardly and rearwardly slopedrear wall portion surface.

3. A gas turbine including wall means defining a combustion chamberv ofgenerally toroidal shape, said chamber having a continuous opening inits inner periphery, said wall means in cross section including frontand rear defining a comcurved portions radially outward of the openingand facing one another, said front portion including an extension curvedinwardly of and laterally forwardly of the front edge of the opening, arotor within the turbine and having its contour generally simulatingthat of the inwardly and forwardly curved front wall portion extension,a conical flow directing element having its base adjacent the rotor,said rear portion of the wall means including a surface extendinginwardly of the opening and sloping laterally rearwardly of the rearedge of the opening and said ,surface extending in the same generaldirection as the slant height f the conical flow directing element,inverted V-shaped hollow air inlet blades on said rotor having closeclearance with the inwardly and forwardly curved front wall portion andterminating within the combustion chamber, fuel jets positionedperipherally on the rotor intermediate said blades so directed into thecombustion chamber as to spray fuel within the combustion chambertangentially thereof, and inverted V-shaped hollow exhaust gas outletblades on said rotor respectively in communication with the invertedV-shaped hollow air inlet blades and curved helically with respect tothe rotor axis and sloped inwardly and rearwardly in close clearance attheir tops with the inwardly and rearwardly sloped rear wall portionsurface and in substantial alignment with the slant height extension ofthe flow directing element.

4. A gas turbine including wall means defining a cornbustion chamber ofgenerally toroidal shape, said chamber having a continuous opening inits inner periphery, said wall means in cross section including frontand read curved portions radially outward of the opening and facing oneanother, said front portion including an extension curved inwardly ofthe opening and laterally forwardly of the front edge of the opening,said rear portion of the wall means including a surface extendinginwardly of the opening and sloping laterally rearwardly at an acuteangle to the axis of the turbine at the rear edge of the opening, arotor within the turbine and haying its contour generally simulatingthat of the inwardly and forwardly curved extension and the rearwardlysloping Wall portion surface, inverted V-shaped hollow air inlet bladeson said rotor having close clearance with the inwardly and forwardlycurved front wall extension and terminating within the combustionchamber, fuel 46 jets positioned peripherally on the rotor intermediatesaid blades so directed into the combustion chamber as to spray fuelwithin the combustion chamber tangentially thereof, means for supplyingfuel to the combustion chamber through said jets including a centralfuel channel in the rotor and radially disposed channels in the rotorconnecting the central fuel channel and the jets, and inverted V-shapedhollow exhaust gas outlet blades on said rotor respectively incommunication with the inverted V-shaped hollow air inlet blades andcurved helically with respect to the rotor axis and sloped inwardly andrearwardly in close clearance with the inwardly and rearwardly slopedrear wall portion surface section.

5. A gas turbine including wall means defining a combustion chamber ofgenerally toroidal shape, said chamber having a continuous opening atits inner periphery, said wall means in cross section including frontand rear curved portions radially outward of the opening and facing oneanother, said front portion including an extension curved inwardly ofand laterally forwardly of the front edge of the opening, a rotor withinthe turbine comprised by abutting air inlet and exhaust gas outletsections, said air inlet section having its contour generally simulatingthat of the inwardly and forwardly curved front wall portion extension,a conical flow directing element having its base adjacent the exhaustgas outlet section of the rotor, said rear portion of the wall portionbeing sloped inwardly and rearwardly on the opposite side of the openingof the combustion chamber and extending in the same general direction asthe slant height of the conical ow control element, and said exhaust gasoutlet section of the rotor being sloped inwardly and rearwardly insubstantial alignment with the slant height of the conical flowdirecting element, inverted V-shaped hollow air inlet blades on said airinlet section of the rotor having close clearance with the inwardly andforwardly curved front wall extension and terminating within thecombustion chamber, fuel jets positioned peripherally on the rotorintermediate said blades so directed into the combustion chamber as tospray fuel within the combustion chamber tangentially thereof, andinverted V-shaped hollow exhaust gas outlet blades on said exhaust gasoutlet section of the rotor in communication with the inverted V-shapedhollow air inlet blades and curved helically with respect to the rotoraxis and sloped inwardly and rearwardly in close clearance at their topswith the inwardly and rearwardly sloped rear wall portion surface.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,533,533 Wirrer Apr. 14, 1925 1,938,688 Brooke Dec. 12, 19332,256,198 Hahn Sept. 16, 1941 2,272,676 Leduc Feb. 10, 1942 2,283,176Birmann May 19, 1942 2,409,446 Pavlecka et al Oct. 15, 1946 2,416,389Heppner et al. Feb. 25, 1947 2,514,874 Kollsman July ll, 1950 2,577,179Bchi Dec. 4, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 19,920 GreatBritain Oct. 5, 1901

